Barring a last-minute trade or injury it appears Alexander Radulov,
the Predators' top prospect, will begin the season in Milwaukee of the
American Hockey League.

Coach Barry Trotz, his staff and General Manager David Poile will meet
following this morning's practice to make final roster decisions, with
the Predators needing to trim to 23 players by Tuesday at 2 p.m.

They currently have 25, but with defenseman Alex Henry (cracked foot
bone) likely headed for injured reserve, that number should soon drop to
24.

So why would the highly skilled Radulov, the only Predator to play in
all six preseason games, be the last cut?

The Predators already have 14 healthy forwards on one-way NHL contracts.
Poile said there are no plans to send any of them to Milwaukee, in part
because they'd have to clear NHL waivers.

"All the forwards here had good years last year, and so far in training
camp they've done nothing to deserve to lose their jobs,'' Poile said.

Radulov, because of his age (20) and experience, would not have to clear
waivers if he's reassigned to Milwaukee.

Might the Predators choose to keep him as a 15th forward? Poile said
there's an outside chance it could happen, but odds are it won't.

Nashville has traditionally kept 13 or 14 forwards, and keeping a 15th
would allow the Predators just six defensemen. The Predators have a largely
inexperienced group of blueliners, so they will almost certainly choose
to keep seven for purposes of flexibility.

In addition, keeping 15 forwards means at least three are not playing
on a regular basis. The Predators prefer their top prospects to play regularly
in Milwaukee instead of getting into the lineup only intermittently on
the NHL level.

"We need to do the right thing for the organization,'' Trotz said, "but
we need to do the right thing for the players too.''

Assuming Radulov is reassigned to Milwaukee prior to the deadline, it
doesn't mean he'll spend all season with the Admirals.

The Predators have had more than their share of injuries over the past
few seasons, and Radulov would likely be at the top of the call-up list.
And once he got into the Nashville lineup on a regular basis, it might
prove difficult to remove him.

Radulov, Nashville's first-round pick in 2004, was impressive in training
camp. He collected four points (two goals, two assists) in six games and
didn't look out of place on top offensive lines.

"He's an incredible offensive player,'' Predators left wing Paul Kariya
said. "He's got a lot of jump, he sees the game well and he's got a great
shot.''

If Radulov is the last player reassigned, it means the Predators will
be keeping inexperienced defensemen Greg Zanon (four NHL games) and Mikko
Lehtonen (no NHL games) until Henry returns.

"I feel good right now, but we'll just wait and see what happens,''
Radulov said. "I just have to keep my chin up and keep working hard.''
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